Penn softball eyes strong finish in season-ending series at Princeton

The Quakers have one last chance to prove themselves in the Ivy League this weekend, as they will be playing at Princeton to close out the season. 

Last weekend, Penn (14-20, 9-9 Ivy) took two of three against Cornell and is hoping to keep up the momentum. Princeton (9-24, 7-8) is coming off a tough series loss to Columbia. Both the Quakers and the Tigers lost to Columbia and Dartmouth this season and are seeking redemption in the Ivy League. 

Last Sunday was Senior Day for Penn and those honored showed their worth both in the field and at bat. In the second game, senior and center fielder Katie Petroski had a RBI, scored a run and batted .500. Senior third baseman Molly Oretsky had two RBIs and played strong defense. 

Penn may be losing four seniors after this season, but the younger members have proven their value. Captain and junior Jess England has started since her freshman year. She and the other junior captain, Hannah Gibbons, have shown that leadership — on and off the field —  can come from all ages. 

England noted that at a point in the season, about half of the starting lineup consisted of freshmen. She thinks this was a good opportunity for the younger team members to gain experience.

Princeton is likely to finish in the bottom half of the conference and the Quakers currently in fourth in the Ivy League, but Penn’s inconsistent season makes outcomes difficult to predict. 

“This year, the Ivy League has proven to be pretty insane. Every team can beat every team and you just never know what to expect from a team on any given weekend, which I think is extremely exciting,” said England.

Penn is not mathematically eliminated from title contention, but they'll need help. Penn would need to gain two games on Columbia and hope second place Dartmouth stumbles heavily in their final two series. 

“I think we really need to just work on valuing the game and valuing each other and just going out there and playing for us and playing for Penn,” said England. “It would be great to go out on a high note. Just having fun and playing loose is what’s going to give us success.”